Applied Rationality focuses on public policy issues and tries to take a liberal perspective that is consistent (comments to the posts will often show otherwise) with neoclassical, rational-choice economics.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Rand Paul: Sh*t happens

The new face of the Teapublican Party, Rand Paul, appeared on Good Morning America this morning. In the first part of the interview, Paul deflects questions about his comments and writing on the federal government overreaching with civil rights and other legislation. In particular, Paul wrote

Decisions concerning private property and associations should in a free society be unhindered. As a consequence, some associations will discriminate... A free society will abide unofficial, private discrimination – even when that means allowing hate-filled groups to exclude people based on the color of their skin.

Paul then went on to criticize President Obama for being too harsh on poor, misunderstood British Petroleum.

Just after the 6-minute mark, Paul says "What I don't like from the President's administration is this sort of ... 'I'll put my boot heel on the throat of BP.' I think that sounds really un-American in his criticism of business."

So, Paul thinks that it is "really un-American" to criticize a foreign company that has caused one of the worst ecological disasters in U.S. history.

He goes on to describe this as part of the "blame game society." He says that we should instead consider "the fact that maybe sometimes accidents happen." He offers a recent mining tragedy as another example of "it's always someone's fault."

Paul's message is simple and clear. It doesn't matter what a business does--discriminates, wrecks the environment, maims or kills its employees. There's no scope for government regulation (not that Paul would overturn or repeal anything, wink wink), and actually no reason for blame. Government needs to get its "boot heel" off the throat of business, and the rest of us need to accept that shit happens.